Mansa Gushu 2016 Yunnan Storage

The legendary Mansa Gushu is a tea with deep personal meaning for us. It is the very tea I discovered and fell in love with during my first journey to Yunnan. From that moment on, Mansa Gushu became a benchmark for what great Sheng Pu-erh tea can be.

For this bingcha, Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming selected leaves from ancient tea trees up to 300 years old and pressed them into 357g cakes in 2016. Instead of being released immediately, this tea was intentionally kept and stored by Tea Master Panda in Yunnan, where it has been allowed to mature slowly and naturally since 2016.

Stored under traditional conditions in Xishuangbanna, the tea has developed remarkable depth and harmony over the years. This careful long term storage makes it a true part of our Yunnan Storage Series, representing Panda’s philosophy of patience, balance, and respectful aging.

The tea trees of Mansa are partly shaded and partly exposed to strong sunlight. This unique environment creates an especially balanced character. Leaves from shaded areas contribute refined floral aromas, while sun exposed leaves bring strength, structure, and a powerful Cha Qi.

We are especially grateful that Tea Master Panda preserved a limited quantity of this tea and made it available to us after years of maturation in Yunnan. The result is a Pu-erh that already shows notable ripeness, depth, and calm energy while still retaining the vitality of Mansa Gushu.

Who are Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming?

Tea Masters Panda and Yang Ming are good friends and experts when it comes to Pu-erh. Yang Ming is a local tea farmer of Yiwu and descendants from a family with a long tradition in Pu-erh making. Incidentally, our popular Lucky Bee teas are from Yang Ming’s tea fields. Tea Master Panda is originally from Sichuan (hence the name) and came to Yunnan due his passion for Pu-erh tea. In addition to Pu-erh, he is also a Master of calligraphy and has extensive knowledge of Chinese history.

Tea Master Panda originally comes from Sichuan and moved to Yunnan driven by his passion for Pu-erh tea. Beyond tea, he is also a master of calligraphy and possesses extensive knowledge of Chinese history, which strongly influences his approach to tea storage and aging.